


Jingle Balls

by roots



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-01 21:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2789174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roots/pseuds/roots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Christmas fics based on the fabulous Kuroko no Basket with the Generation of Miracles and Kagami :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Santa Baby

# Santa Baby

Aomine × Reader

* * *

Despite the fact that you've been dating Aomine for months now, it was sometimes still frustrating to be with a man like him. It was always so hard to get Aomine to do  _anything_. He was so lazy that he refused to do anything else during dates aside from hanging around in his house, which basically consisted of either playing video games together or eating teriyaki burgers. Store-bought. It was boring. Especially now that Christmas was coming up. How were you supposed to enjoy this festive season when your boyfriend rejects every idea you offer up? 

You both were walking home from a grocery trip. Aomine was home alone for the holidays since both his parents were out on business trips. When you went over to his house earlier and searched for food, you found the fridge completely empty. Aside from a probably three month old pizza. The sight had been too horrifying to describe that you just ended up screaming and tossing it outside of the house.

That was when you called for an intervention and dragged him out to shop for food. Well, during the shopping period, you did most of the selecting while he only paid and carried the bags. 

"Okay, so what do you want to do then?" You asked, crossing your arms over your chest. You were pissed off. You had been giving him suggestion after suggestion and he'd been turning them down one at a time. 

"Sleep," he shrugged. 

"Really," you huffed. "Come on, this is our very first Christmas together and my parents already agreed that I could spend Christmas eve with you but the twenty-fifth with them. Let's make the best of it."

"And I'm telling you that we should just sleep," he yawned, scratching his head sleepily.

Snow had not arrived yet this winter, which was good because it meant that you could spend more time outside rather than being a couch potato in the house, watching reruns of old anime shows. Despite that fact, the temperature was still numbing. You noticed him sniffling and rubbing his nose.

"You should take care of yourself better. I don't want you getting sick." You cupped his freezing cheek with the warmth of your hand. "But then again, idiots can't catch colds."

He laughed, "Thank goodness for that then." He moved all the groceries to one hand and took yours in the other. 

"Speaking of Christmas, what do you want for it?"

"Hmm," he thought about it. "You. Naked."

"Aomine!" You smacked his arm, blushing furiously and pulling away from him. He made plenty of dirty comments towards you, basically hinting what he really wanted for Christmas. Yet, you were still not used to the fact that your boyfriend was such a pervert.

He smirked and took your hand again. "It was worth a shot."

"No, it wasn't." You rolled your eyes. "But really, what do you want to do for Christmas?"

"Anything's fine with me."

You were about to give up, sighing exasperatedly. Then it hit you. "How about I cook you dinner then? My parents won't mind." You suggested thoughtfully. 

Aomine pictured a great feast at his place with the complete Christmas set. The homey feeling would spread through the air and, damn, you in an apron. He could work with that. He nodded, "That sounds good actually."

"Finally," you clung onto his arm and playfully punched his rock-hard abs. "Though, you owe me if I'm cooking for you."

"Hai, hai. Got it." He nodded.

* * *

"Really? That's all you're doing?" Your friend asked curiously. "That sounds like every other date you've had with him." A few days had passed since your conversation with Aomine and you were sitting on the floor in your friend's room.

You groaned, "Well, what else can I do? He doesn't want to do anything else."

"Maybe you can sneak in some sexy times with him," she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

You laughed and shook your head, "That's what he suggested too, pervert. But I don't know. Sometimes I feel so detached from him that I'm not sure…" That was probably the first time you ever brought up this subject. Although Aomine was a great boyfriend and he has shown you constant affection, it sometimes felt odd to be with him. Like something was missing. You both haven't said those three little words yet but you could feel it. Thing was, it was difficult to read  _him_. You didn't know how he felt and it seemed as if you were more thoughtful of your relationship than he was.

"Maybe it's just him," she shrugged. "Aomine is an odd guy but you like him anyway. You might as well bring this up instead of just tiptoeing around it. If you don't deal with these things directly, it might affect your relationship."

Sighing, you knew that it was true. Your worries had started to bother you for some time now and Aomine looked as if he notices at times, but he never brought it up. "Maybe."

"No, no maybes. You have to talk to him."

"Alright."

"Oh, and I have another idea." She smirked while wiggling her fingers creepily. "One that will really catch his attention."

* * *

Christmas eve had arrived. Aomine yawned, flipping through one of his gravure magazines. Despite your complaints, he still had those books. Though, he read them when you're not around to avoid your infamous roundhouse kick. 

A rap on the door caught his attention and he tossed it aside and headed over to the door. He swung it open to see you with a thick, long coat. "Hi, [y/n]." He greeted, letting you in. "You look… warm." You were wearing a thick, long coat to shelter you from the freezing weather. Snow had started to pour from the sky and the weather was destroying your immune system. 

"I'm actually still freezing so I'll keep it this on for a while longer." You shook your head, shuddering from the terrible winter weather.

Aomine laughed, ruffling your hair, attempting to shake out some of the snowflakes caught in between the pieces. "Alright." He agreed and led you to the kitchen. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I have seen you cook and I do not want to repeat that. Especially not during Christmas. I like your kitchen intact, thank you very much."

"It's good to know how much faith you have in me." He smirked. 

"Thank you for the offer but I got it. So just go back to bed and watch TV or something. I'll call you if I ever need anything." Pause. "By the way, if I see any one of your disgusting magazines, I'll cut them up."

He shuddered at the thought, "Yes, ma'am." He placed a kiss on your forehead and headed out. 

It was time for the battle to begin. For the next two hours, you prepared almost everything, struggling through the chopping, boiling, and mixing. Finally, your hard work paid off with a chicken roasting in the oven, a pie cooling in the fridge and salad being tossed in a bowl. Aomine dropped by every few minutes to ask whether you needed help. His fidgeting revealed how uncomfortable he was with leaving you to do everything alone. Although he acted as if he didn't really care, he was adorably concerned. Interesting.

"Sit down," you moved him back into the living room.

When everything was ready, you called him into the kitchen and set everything on the table. The delicious smell flooded the room and you heard both your stomachs growling in hunger. "Let's dig in." He said, sitting down and staring hungrily at the banquet set in front of his eyes.

You slid off your coat just as Aomine was cutting a piece of chicken. When he looked up, he dropped his utensils. You had on a fitted, red strapless dress with white ruffles on both ends. It ended a good few inches above your knee, showing enough leg, and the hem on top revealed just enough cleavage to tease the man frozen in front of you. "Merry Christmas," you leaned close to his ear to whisper.

He growled, grabbing your waist and setting you down on his lap. "Unbelievable," his eyes raked you from head to toe as he licked his lips. "You don't play fair, do you?"

You giggled, "It's your fault for not agreeing to anything." Then you rose from his lap after wiggling a bit, leaving him groaning. You could feel his bulge growing underneath his pants. "So now you have to wait until we finish dinner." Then you casually started to move a bit of the salad onto your plate. Every few minutes, you couldn't help but smile whenever he began to fidget uncomfortably.

The minute you put your fork down after dessert, Aomine snatched you and threw you over his shoulder. "Oh my God, put me down!"

He smacked your ass. "Nope." He tossed you easily onto his bed and then pinned you down, hovering above you. "Santa's good to me this year."

You smirked, "What are you talking about? I am Santa."

"Then Santa," he leaned down close to your ear. His hot breath hitting your skin, making you shiver in delight. "I only have one wish this year." He leaned down, his face just inches away from yours and the distance was diminishing by the seconds.

"Wait," you covered his mouth.

He groaned, wincing at the obvious pain in his pants. "What now?"

"I have something serious to talk about," you started. Aomine flopped onto his back next to you, covering his eyes as if he was truly wounded. Such a drama queen. "Do you like me?"

His eyes snapped open, "You do realize that I'm the idiot in the relationship right."

You rolled your eyes at this. "No, I mean like, do you really,  _really_ like me?"

"What are we five?" He snarled, sitting up against the headboard.

"I'm just wondering," you sighed, leaning back against the pillow. "I know it's a bit irrational to wonder this but sometimes I feel like you don't like me that much. I mean, I know that you like this thing we have going on but I don't know how committed you are to this."

He breathed in and breathed out, trying to calm himself down. "[Y/n], I'm only going to say this once and once only. Listen close. You. Are. Stupid." You frowned at him. He let out a roar of aggravation, "I'm not good with words okay. I've never been good with words. With you, I'm trying alright but I know it's not easy. I don't know why you're so insecure about this because I thought my actions have showed enough. Sure, I may be lazy, but I would not be willing to spend time even outside the house if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't even want to try to go out on dates if it wasn't you."

You could feel your heart slowly calming down. You had been too paranoid, too jumpy on conclusions. It was all because you didn't trust him enough. "Thank you," your murmured shyly.

"If you have any doubts, you can ask me, okay? I'm crazy in love with you, baka." He grinned, hovering above you once more. You couldn't hold back the smile that etched itself onto your face. Before you even finished whispering the three words back, he devoured your lips and took control of the whole situation.

And the rest was history.

* * *

 The next morning, you snuggled closer towards him. "Santa, can I take your picture again in that costume?"

"Stupid," you smacked him on the head. 

"But you love me anyway."

"Shut up."

* * *

**_SONG:_ ** **Santa Baby – Glee Cast (Santana)**


	2. Holiday Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! Akashi is bae and I wanted to give him a Christmas to remember with you too! ;)

# Holiday Gifts

Akashi × Reader

* * *

Holiday seasons had never been easy for Akashi. Despite it being the most joyous times of the year, he still had plenty of responsibilities to bear thanks to his father. You had only been dating him for a couple of months so you were not very familiar with his father's strict nature. The two of you were walking home from school, him delivering you home. He seemed oddly quiet, whereas usually he would be giving you orders or talking about how basketball practice had gone. Being the captain of the team while also managing the school's student council was tough on him and he returned home looking weary everyday. 

The weather had grown cold since the beginning of December. Snow had lightly dusted the roads, creating ice paths here and there. Everywhere you walked, you would notice people sheltered in their winter gear: long-thick coat, scarves, and boots. Children looked like little penguins waddling around and, glancing around you, beautiful Kyoto had transformed into a winter wonderland. To keep yourself warm, you had on a snuggly, red coat over your school uniform and boots on your feet. On the other hand, Akashi never seemed to be affected by any change in the weather. Even today, he was walking home clad in his basketball jersey and trousers.

Speaking of Akashi, you didn't want to burden him more so you tried your best to cheer him up instead with your stories. Usually he would be more attentive, but today he was a bit distracted. "Is something bothering you, Sei-kun?" When you first called him that, he looked pissed off but you kept doing it anyway and eventually he grew used to it. 

He forced his attention away from his perfectly clean shoes. "What?"

It really wasn't like him to be so distracted. You started to worry and leaned forward to peek at your face. "You look like you're somewhere else."

"Ah, sorry. Basketball practice was a bit tiring today." He gave you that stiff smile. You've stared to distinguish between his smiles. He had his genuinely happy smiles whenever he was pleased with what you've done. Then there was the 'really pissed off' smile when he basically telepathically sends curses to you with a smile. That one was scary as fuck. This one was the one that bothered you the most though because it meant that he was hiding, shielding himself from you.

You pursed your lips and pressed on, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he nodded.

It really wasn't a good idea to push a topic he didn't want to discuss further. So, you just changed the topic. "So, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

He remained quiet for a moment. You weren't sure whether he was thinking or he had not heard at all. "My father is holding a Christmas banquet for his business associates. I am expected to attend."

"We can run away instead you know." You teased with a grin, bouncing in front of him and beginning to walk backwards.

Your actions disturbed him because then he swiftly moved you to his side again, muttering, "That's dangerous." You only smiled at him. "And, of course, I can't. I have to entertain some of them as I will be taking over the company in the future after all."

"Hmm, well that stinks. I thought we could spend it together."

He blinked several times before turning to you and stopping. "Well, we could." You raised an eyebrow curiously. "I'm sure my father wouldn't mind my bringing an extra guest along. He has always wanted to meet you too since I told him I found a girlfriend."

"Really?" You smirked. That was a big shocker. "He wasn't pissed? I thought for sure that he would be up your ass about distractions during school time." You started to walk again ahead of him and he followed close behind.

He couldn't help the smirk too. "He was surprisingly pleased that I had a social life. Though, he wasn't as pleased about my getting a girlfriend as he was about my building connections for future business endeavors."

"Your father, forever the opportunist."

"Opportunist," he murmured quietly, as if testing the word in his mouth. "That's one way to describe him."

"Your father is much, much more than an opportunist."

"And what about me? What am I?" He suddenly pressed you up against the wall. The coldness hitting your neck made you shiver but it wasn't as heart-stopping as the emotions swirling in Akashi's dark red eyes. He wrapped his arms around your waist as you settled your gloved hands on his shoulders. The upwards curve of his lips made you smile. You loved playful Akashi, he rarely ever was childlike. 

You rubbed your freezing nose against his. "You are absolute."

"Good answer," he muttered, placing a quick kiss on your lips before taking your hand and leading you home once again. "So, how about it? Would you like to join me for my father's business dinner?"

"That would be just fine. Do I have to bring anything?"

"Just yourself. Do dress formally though."

"Yes, sir." You grinned and nudged his shoulder. He smiled mischievously back at you.

* * *

Oddly enough, the party was held on Akashi's birthday and you wondered whether Akashi himself even remembered that his birthday was on that day. You sighed as you looked at the appearance of the kitchen. Your mother had called you an idiot for messing up her "flawless studio". Mothers and kitchens. Although she gave you a severe scolding, she ended up helping you out anyway with your preparation for Akashi's gift. Flour coated your face and hands while bits of dough were scattered all over the kitchen counter. There also might have been an egg on the floor. Complete accident, honest. 

You used your arm to wipe away sweat and hair from your face. "Why are you making so many?" Your mother frowned.

"I don't know…" You honestly stated. You started off with the intent to bake a simple birthday cake for him but then, searching for recipes drove you overboard. After baking the cake, you started making a pie from scratch and now it was cooling in the fridge. Your mother was now helping you mix the batter for cupcakes while you started on the colorful frosting. The cake was supposed to be decorated for his birthday but the others ended up being more Christmasy.

"Ah, how are you going to bring all of this to the party?"

"I did not think this through."

"Obviously." Your mother rolled her eyes. Rolled her eyes! At her own daughter! "Maybe we can just give these to our neighb—"

"No!" You argued, pouting and yanking the batter away from her. "I made these with love."

She rolled her eyes again. "Alright, you spoiled child. I'll help you finish these up. Now, go get ready. You haven't showered at all nor have you picked out a dress yet." She shooed you out of the kitchen. 

You were really grateful for her presence. So, you jumped into the shower and bathed quickly, getting rid of the raw dough smell that clung onto you. Rummaging through your closet, you finally found a long-sleeved red dress that ended just a bit above your knee to make it appropriate enough. You did light makeup on yourself and clipped on the golden necklace Akashi had gifted you for your birthday. It wasn't real gold, of course. He had planned on giving you diamonds but you put your foot known, refusing to let him spend an ungodly amount of money on you. 

"Now, don't you look lovely." Your mother commented proudly. "The cupcakes are out and all that's left is to frost them. Isn't Akashi-kun sending you a car to pick you up?"

Yes, unfortunately. You insisted that you took the train since it wasn't that far but he  _insisted_ that you took the car his family was providing. When Akashi insists, it shall be. The driver knocked on your door ten minutes later and your mother ushered you out and placed all the cakes with you in the backseat. After a relatively smooth ride, the car stopped in front of Akashi's family's grand mansion. It was huge. Like,  _huge_ huge. You took out one cupcake from the box and handed it to the driver. "Thank you and Merry Christmas!" He looked taken aback for a second before sending you a grateful smile and wishing you the same.

Akashi was standing at the front door greeting the guests that were arriving and he was bored out of his mind. Fortunately for him, you had never failed to entertain. He noticed you struggling to get all the cake boxes out of the car and hurried over. "[y/n], did you buy the whole store?"

"I made them," you stuck your tongue out. 

He took three of the boxes while you took the last one out. "You made all of these?"

You blushed shyly as the two of you went up the steps to his house. The house had been changed completely. Glittery, colorful streams were draped from wall to wall with Christmas lights twirling around it. A magnificent Christmas tree was the main attraction in the center of the room, glowing with different decorations including sphere ornaments in different sizes and models, angels and stars. People glided around the room with their beautiful gowns and crisp tuxes, holding sparkly flutes of champagne and chattering with each other. In the other room, a long table of food from all over the world was set along with a round table full of desserts, complete with a chocolate fountain. "This is… wow." You said as Akashi chuckled at your marveled expression. "I mean, yeah, it's cool. No big deal."

"You look beautiful," he kissed the bare skin on the side of your neck, sending chills down your spine. "And thank you for going overboard."

"Akashi, could you contact—" An older-looking man, almost an exact replica of Akashi, approached him. He stopped himself midway when he noticed you standing there, and his eyes lit up somewhat. "Ah, you must be Seijurou's partner. Welcome to our humble home."

Humble, he says. "Thank you for having me," you bowed your head politely. 

"What is all this?" He asked curiously.

"She made desserts."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness even though this event was already catered." Then he stopped. "Then again, we are lacking some desserts in that area. The cupcake plate is empty and we can't have that. The cook has not be found. I should fire him," Akashi senior cursed. 

"Well, in the mean time, I have cupcakes in this box." You held up one white box. "If you'd like, just as a buffer before your chef prepares more."

He brightened. "Thank you very much. Though, I must taste-test to assure that the quality is worthy."

Akashi's hand tightened around your waist. You gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course."

When Akashi senior took a bite of the treat, his eyes brightened, emphasizing the ruby shade. "This is delightful. We would be happy to have these. Thank you," he nodded and called one of the waiters. "Take this box to the table and replace the empty plate."

"Yes, sir." The man accepted the box and moved on.

"Well, thank you for your company and please enjoy the rest of the party." Akashi senior smiled a professional smile at you before stepping away to entertain more of his guests. Akashi breathed a sigh of relief next to you, although it was inaudible, you still noticed. 

You elbowed his stomach, "Are you that worried?"

"Come," he led you away from the crowd and to a more secluded, darker area away from the brilliance of the party. He settled down next to you and asked, "What are in these ones?"

You were perhaps slightly distracted by his dashing looks. If he looked edible in his basketball jersey, he looked like a five-star banquet at that moment with his custom-made, fitting black three-piece suit. It was a contrast against his flaming red hair, but damn if it didn't look freaking good on him. He snapped his fingers in front of you and you returned to reality. "Ah, what?" He smirked, obviously pleased that you were staring at him. "Right, this is pie. I thought your father might like it since you mentioned he liked cherries."

"Thank you," he then held up the biggest box. "And this?"

You took it from him and placed it on your lap, unwrapping the ribbons and revealing a vanilla spongecake, his guilty pleasure. The writing "Happy birthday, Akashi Seijurou" was scribbled on top with icing. His eyes softened instantly at the sight. "Happy birthday," you whispered to him.

His lips twitched. "I haven't had a surprise like this in a while."

"Well, surprise." You said lamely with a smile.

"Thank you," he grinned. He actually _grinned_. "Come to think of it, I've never had a birthday gift that I'm happy with for quite some time." He took a fork out of the box and pushed it in, then took a bite of the cake. "This is delicious."

"Thank God," you laughed. "I've never tried that recipe before." Then you pulled something out of your pocket and held it up above the two of you. "This one is for selfish reasons."

He glanced up to find a mistletoe. He couldn't suppress the smirk that spread across his face. He leaned forward and captured your lips in a deep kiss. He tasted of fresh mint and bitter coffee.The familiar combination drove you insane. You both stayed in that position for some time until you gasped for air. 

"Totally worth it," you sighed dreamily.

"Merry Christmas, darling." He grinned.

* * *

**_SONG:_ ** **Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Jessica Simpson ft. Nick Lachey**


	3. Mistletoe & Co.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midorima Shintarou being his awkward self after you've gone through a breakup before Christmas :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this was a quick, unedited chapter before I leave :D but enjoy anyway and I'll look over it after I'm back from vacation. Merry Christmas!

# Mistletoe & Co.

Midorima × Reader

* * *

Right before Christmas. That asshole did it right before Christmas. You stood out in the freezing weather, waiting for the stupid blizzard to pass in front of the stupid bistro where you stupid boyfriend just decided to break up with you for a stupid woman.

What the hell was taking that taxi so long anyway? You were beyond pissed as you texted your closest friend about what had just transpired. In an instant, your friend had replied that she had just set up a plan to fix that broken heart of yours.

You looked up at the dark night sky. It was only days away before Christmas and you expected this dinner – the first time you’ve seen him in weeks, mind you – to be a lovely, romantic evening. How wrong you had been. Well, at least that jerk got what he deserved when you left him with a pie on his head, plus a quick order for a large bottle of wine that you charged to him before leaving.

“[y/n], come over!” Your friend had called you on your cell phone.

“I’m not in the mood,” you sighed, staring at the huge wine bottle by your side. “I feel like drinking myself into a stupor.”

“Don’t be silly.” She growled. “He’s a dick and you totally deserve better than him, which is why I’ve planned a little sleepover for Christmas at [boy’s name]’s small villa in the hills. It’ll be blast! Everyone in class will be going, both guys and girls so we’ll nurse that heart of yours with alcohol and a bit of flirty fun.”

Although it sucked that you had just broken up with your stupid ex, you figured that a getaway like that would be the perfect solution to forget all about him. “Alright, I’ll start packing.”

“I’ll pick you up at 6 at night tomorrow!”

* * *

On the other side of town, Midorima snarled at Takao who had just taken his lucky item for the day. Takao dangled it annoyingly in front of him, cooing, “I’ll only give it back if you agree to go.”

“Takao, don’t be such a _baka_.” He snapped, reaching out again. Takao was on top of a shelf, God knows how he got there, and keeping his lucky item of the day away from him.

“It’ll be fun. A girl arranged the whole thing and it’ll be a good way to meet girls from the class. Don’t be such a stick-up-the-ass.” He laughed. Just then, the lights began to flicker. “Ah, what a foreboding atmosphere.”

“Fine!” Midorima agreed, throwing his arms in the air in surrender. “I’ll go to that pointless gathering. I don’t want fate to kill me today.”

Takao tossed it lazily and Midorima tackled to get it. He sighed in relief when the rubber ball was back in his arms. “Great, start packing. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

* * *

You jumped into your friend’s car after kissing your parents goodbye the next evening. They were reluctant to let you go at first but decided that perhaps being around your friends would help ease your angry mood. You had been snappy all night yesterday when you told them what had gone down.

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon as your friend pulled out of the parking lot. Surprisingly, you found two other people in the backseat. “Ah, hello?” You greeted in confusion.

Your friend swiftly piped in, “This is Takao and Midorima. They didn’t have rides so they’re carpooling. Don’t worry, they’re paying for gas.”

“Hello, [y/n]-chan!” The black-haired one waved with a huge grin. “I’m Takao Kazunari.”

“Nice to meet you, Takao-kun.” You smiled back at him. He seemed friendly and harmless enough.

“This gloomy asshole here is Midorima Shintarou.”

You turned to face the green-haired man who pushed his glasses up with bandaged fingers. You frowned, “Are you alright? I mean, should you really be going out if you’re hurt?”

“It’s none of your concern.” He curtly replied, throwing his gaze out the window again to the thick layer of snow that had covered the sides of the road.

Rude. You instantly didn’t like him. “Well, I was just curious.”

“Don’t mind his sour attitude,” Takao waved it off. “He’s always like this and he’s especially pissed because he was—“

“I was dragged here against my will,” he finished.

Midorima wasn’t especially good-looking but there was something about his appearance that intrigued you. Maybe it was his long, smooth fingers. Maybe it was his sharp, calculating green eyes. Maybe it was the cool, don’t-give-a-damn attitude. Whatever it was, he interested you a bit.

“Then let’s just make the best of the situation, shall we?” You offered gently to him.

He turned his eyes back to you, staring for a few moments before softening his gaze and loosening his stiff shoulders. “Yes, maybe.”

“So do you two join any clubs?” You started to break the silence in the car. Your friend was casually humming along to some pop song playing in the radio while the two boys in the back were unusually quiet.

“Ah, we’re both in basketball.”

“Oh, that’s so cool! I went to see one of your games once,” you nodded. “It was intense but really cool.”

“Thank you,” Takao grinned. Midorima barely contributed to the conversation, with only a few short responses whenever he was specifically asked a question. “Shin-chan here was part of the Generation of Miracles.”

Midorima slapped on a hand to Takao’s mouth. “There’s no need for excess information.”

“Wait, as in the group of students who were prodigies in basketball?” You asked, staring at Midorima in a whole different light. “That’s awesome. What’s your specialty?”

“Shooting,” another short response.

“Come to think of it, you were the guy who walked away before the ball even passed through the hoop.” You remembered now. No wonder he seemed a bit familiar. During the game, you noticed his tall figure wandering in the court and also his impressive shots that he was always confident in.

“HA!” Takao snorted. “As always, the ever-smug Shin-chan.”

“Shut up, Takao.” He shook his head.

“I think it’s cool that you’ve got that kind of confidence,” you honestly admitted. It was admirable to have that much faith in one’s talent. To think that he had that kind of personality was irritable and interesting at the same time.

He looked genuinely surprised at your comment but then returned to his cool demeanor and muttered, “Not really.”

Ah, he was a tsundere. How adorable.

“We’re here!” Your friend announced.

* * *

 

The place was extremely cozy despite its smaller size. There was a quaint living room with couches and a fireplace, a kitchen with just enough space for cooking, a few bedrooms, and bathrooms. The walls were adorned with shades of brown and various patterns of leaves. The décor itself emphasized the warmth of the house.

After everyone picked their rooms and settled down, you all gathered back in the living room for a quick get-to-know game. Halfway through the game, you noticed one person was missing.

You wandered out of the house and went through the backdoor which passed to a dock on a small lake. A tall shadow stood there and you went to approach it. “Midorima-kun?”

He turned around, shocked to see you. “Ah, hello.”

“It’s freezing out here. How do you handle this weather?”

“Endurance and strength,” he deadpanned.

You muffled your laughter and stood beside him. “Everyone’s getting to know each other. You’re missing out on a lot.”

“I’m not interested,” he nudged his glasses up again with his middle finger. There he went again. You sighed but then noticed an item in his hand.

This close. You were this close to laughing out loud when you saw a rabbit doll in his hand. “Midorima-kun, are you actually really lonely?”

He glared and frowned at the same time.

“I mean, you know if you wanted to bring a doll then you could’ve just talked to any of us—“

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is Oha Asa’s lucky item of the day.”

“Are you one of those guys who are obsessed with horoscopes?”

Even in the dark, you sensed him growing embarrassed so you quickly added. “Not that it’s a bad thing or anything. It’s just interesting since I’ve never seen a guy like that.”

“I trust fate. I do whatever I can to achieve the best and God shall do the rest.”

“That’s a good rule to live by,” you nodded.

Silence enveloped them but it was comfortable. You two stood by each other, arms brushing, swaying slightly in the winter wind and looking out to the hills that had turned into silhouettes with the moon high above.

“Aren’t you cold?” He interrupted the quietness.

“Kind of,” you shrugged, cupping your hands to your mouth and blew on them to warm them up.

“Let’s go in,” He went ahead at first but then waited for you to catch up. You found this behavior to be adorable. Although he acted like he really didn’t care, he was actually quite the gentleman. Very nice. When he noticed you staring at him again, he blankly said, “Don’t fall in love with me or anything. I’m not interested in relationships.”

You blushed under the porch light. “Stupid! I just got my heart broken, I’m not going to bounce back that easily.”

“I heard. Sorry about that.” You merely shrugged in response. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re now surrounded with better people and that’s one less asshole to deal with.”

The tips of your lips unconsciously curved up. His words were rough and blunt but the main point was kind of sweet. “Thanks.”

He turned a light shade of pink before entering the house, avoiding your gaze.

* * *

 

For the next few days, you could feel yourself getting better and better. Everyone was right. Who needed that jerk? It was good to finally get along better with everyone else in the class. They were all great people and easygoing.

Well, except one who still caught your eye anyway. Midorima kept to himself mostly even though Takao tried to get him involved. You even attempted at times only to be shut down.

Although so, the girls agreed that Midorima responded more to you than the others. Well, that was one way to get a girl’s hope up. You began to pay a closer attention to him. How he moved, how he spoke. They all seemed to enchant you.

One evening, he cornered you and you thought that he was finally going to make a move. Finally! Instead, what came out of his mouth disappointed you to no end, “Could you please stop staring?” Your smile faltered at his words. “I was nice to you once and that was it. Don’t think too much of it. Girls,” he shook his head. Then, you saw an expression of regret. “I didn’t mean—“

That was when you realized that your eyes had started to water. Oh God, this was like déjà vu with your boyfriend all over again. Getting your hopes up only to see it come crashing down. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I guess I’m just a bit raw you know.” You let out an awkward laugh. It wasn’t as if you had fallen head over heels for Midorima Shintarou. You just had a slight crush that was rapidly growing for his little quirks and his tsundere nature and his gentlemanlike behavior.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to sound rude, it’s just—“

“I get it.” You forced out a smile and blinked away the tears. “Don’t worry, alright. I guess it was just a slight infatuation. Maybe it’s because I’m telling myself to get over that stupid guy asap and I just… I’m sorry.”

His face scrunched up in what you could only identify as deep remorse. “Look, I—“

“It’s alright,” you interrupted again. Worst timing ever. It was Christmas Eve and everyone was celebrating inside the living room. You had no time to be depressed like this. “I’ll catch you later,” you quickly said. Instead of returning to everyone else, you headed out the door to cool your flaming face down. God, that was embarrassing.

You sat down on the porch stairs and breathed in the wintry air. It was cold but it was a good kind of cold for that moment. The numbing kind of cold. The sound of the wooden door creaking open forced you to swipe away what remained of your sadness.

“[Y/n]-san…” the familiar voice began.

“Midorima-kun, I swear I’m okay. I’ll be in in a while.” You kept your head down, facing the dock just a few meters away.

The porch stairs creaked next to you and you realize that he had sat down next to you and had draped a blanket over your shoulders. He sighed and kept his gaze fixated on the darkness in front of him. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just didn’t want you to be mistaken that your feelings for me might be real.”

“Wha—“

“No, it’s my turn to speak. You’re a wonderful girl, very loyal and sweet and all. I’ve seen you with your friends and how you interact with people and it’s completely different from how I do it.” He rambled on awkwardly. “But you know, you’re interesting and you’re a nice girl.”

“What are you saying?”

He glanced away this time, to keep his face hidden away from your eyes. “I guess you know, I’d like to help you try and get over him. It may take you a while but I’ll try to bear through it and maybe once you’re over him, you may come to like—“

“Midorima-kun.” You interrupted, grasping his chin and pulling him to face you. “You’re a great guy too you know.” You could feel your cheeks pinking with your confession. “And yes, maybe I’m still not over that jerk but… I know that I will be over him soon.” He raised an eyebrow. “Because right now, there’s this guy I have an eye on and he’s pretty cute and cool.” Midorima reddened at that. So cute. “And the fact that he hasn’t noticed what’s above us is adorable too.”

He frowned and looked up, his eyes widening in surprise. “That’s a…”

“Mistletoe,” you both said at the same time.

“You know what that means,” you grinned, leaning closer to him.

He blushed slightly, stammering, “Are you sure you want this? We haven’t gone out and well I thought that might be—“

“Oh, shut up and kiss me.” You grinned. He smiled back and obliged. His full lips pressing against yours in a passionate kiss. His hands engulfed you in a hug that warmed you from head to toe. His kiss was hot and had successfully caused your heartbeat to pick up. Your lips moved so well, in sync with each other.

When you released each other, your eyelids fluttered open to meet his emerald orbs. “That was… wow.” You said with a huge smile.

He shifted uncomfortably with a tomato-red shade. “Right. That’s good.”

“You really are something else, Midorima Shintarou.”

“I hope that’s in a good way.”

You smirked, “Always.”

* * *

**_SONG:_ ** **Mistletoe – Colbie Caillat**


	4. Sweet Tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short tale of your toothache and fear of dentist and Murasakibara. A sweet story! (Ha! Geddit?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another unedited chapter! I hope to finish this series before Christmas but God knows I can't always get internet connection. Enjoy anyway! Tell me what you think :D

# Sweet Tooth

Murasakibara × Reader

* * *

Christmastime was always the time for sweets. All sorts of them from gingerbread men, candy canes, chocolate chip cookies for Santa, and even hot chocolate and sweetened nuts. And you absolutely loved it.

After the winter tournament, everyone had become pretty bummed because of Yosen had lost to Seirin High. However, you knew that you could get their energy back up with a little bit of push. So, you decided that you would bake some Christmas cookies for the team.

You glanced out to the living room where your boyfriend was plopped dead-tired after another practice session. Despite Christmas being just around the corner, Yosen High was determined to train and train until they improved themselves, getting themselves pepped up for the upcoming games.

Using a rolling pin, you flattened out the dough over the countertop. Then you pressed a cookie cutter through it then moved the shape onto a pan. The oven was heated well and you were preparing a batch of cookies for each member of the team in order to encourage them. The first batch was in the oven and you could smell the heavenly scent of the delicious, little treats wafting through the air. Your stomach growled. Damn. You hadn't eaten either. Fingering a bit of the batter, you sucked it in your mouth.

So. Good.

The sound of footsteps drew your attention to the door. Atsushi appeared in the doorway with a lazy look. Luckily enough, you were going to spend the holidays with the giant. You grinned at his sleepy expression. "How was your nap?"

"Ehh, [y/n]-chin. It was good." he let out a yawn again.

He just got back from practice when he knocked on your door and flopped dead onto your bed. Thank goodness he showered already. "Good," you nodded and turned your attention back to the cookie dough resting on the table.

"What are you making?" He came up from behind and peeked over your shoulder. Not that he needed to peek. He was more than a head taller than you. He licked his lips hungrily and reached out for the dough.

You smacked his hand away and smirked. "That's not for you."

"But why?" he complained in his childish voice. The pout on his face almost made you give in. Almost.

You continued to cut out shapes from the dough, "Because this is for everyone. I'll bring it to practice tomorrow so you all can try it out."

"Why don't you just make for me?" He wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his head on your head.

You blushed slightly at the contact but couldn't suppress your happy smile. "Because everyone needs a bit of motivation."

"These cookie cutters are _kawaii_ ," he held up the round ones but it had extra material that enabled the shapes to look like basketballs.

"Thank you," you beamed. "Now go sit and I'll give you a batch later."

"But I want it now." He whined again.

"Atsushi," you frowned.

Then he glanced down at your face, blinking. Suddenly, he went around and kissed you smack on the lips.

"Atsushi!" You reddened instantly. "What was that for?"

"That's my sweet treat while I wait for you." he grinned.

" _B-Baka_!" You pushed him away shyly. He smiled lazily back before waddling out of the kitchen.

After the cookies were done, you hungrily pulled the tray out of the oven, relishing the delicious aroma of the freshly baked sweets. You couldn’t resist and popped in one of the tiny morsels into your mouth.

Shit.

There was suddenly a stinging feeling at the back of your mouth and you winced, dropping the tray onto the counter which caused a loud clatter. Murasakibara came rushing in, “What happened?”

“N-Nothing,” you laughed awkwardly. “It was just a bit hot.”

“Heee, please be careful.” He nodded and then his attention was quickly stolen by the cookies.

While he nibbled on a few, you were suffering in your own pain. Crap. There was probably a hole somewhere in your mouth. But you were scared. You refused to go to the dentist because you had been traumatized by a terrible, shot-the-wrong-tooth incident when you were young.

“Do you want one, [y/n]-chin?” Murasakibara offered innocently.

“Ah, no thanks.” You feigned a smile, claiming that you were full from all the tasting.

“Well, you have a sweet tooth after all. Even sweeter than me.” He nodded and glanced at them again.

You managed to keep it all down, avoiding Murasakibara from worrying and knowing about your fear. That was until dinner came along. He handed you a bowl filled with ice cream and with such an excited smile. You couldn’t help with the contagious smile. You gratefully accepted it, completely forgetting the pain, and spooned the ice cream into your mouth.

Then it was as if war had broken out in your mouth and had exploded into bits. You winced and let out a quite loud shriek. Murasakibara’s eyes widened slightly. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, please continue eating. I’m just going to—“

“[Y/n]-chin,” he said in a voice you’d never heard before. One that sounded deeper, scarier. “Are your teeth hurting?”

You looked away and scratched your cheek with one finger awkwardly, avoiding his intense gaze. “Well…”

“Let’s go to the dentist,” Murasakibara stood up.

“No!” You interrupted. He raised an eyebrow at you. “I’ll, um, I’ll go alone tomorrow. I will.” He remained quiet, unconvinced. “I will, okay. I just want to do it alone. It’ll be embarrassing if I had to have my boyfriend there with me.”

He didn’t reply for a second, considering your idea. “Alright. I have practice tomorrow so you can go and then we can meet up again for dinner.”

“Great plan!” You nodded along.

* * *

You couldn’t do it. No. The pain you had feared and avoided for so long came creeping back up your neck. You paced in front of the dentist endlessly, earning questioning glances from people passing by. Finally, you took a deep breath and went inside with your pulse racing all over the place. There were quite a few people there, mainly mothers with their children.

Sitting down on an empty seat after taking your number, you sighed in relief. Maybe it wasn’t going to be as bad as you thought it was. Kids were still laughing around you, playing with the available toys.

Yeah, maybe you could get over your fear and do this.

You sat patiently with a smile on your face, thinking about how you were excited to start eating sweets again.

Then you heard it.

The screams of death. A child had been pulled into the dentist’s room by his mother. And then that was his sound. The sound of his agony inside.

That sound scared you half to death. You were shaking in your seat. Crap, crap, crap.

Then the kid came out and your number was called. The dentist came out looking like a mad man from a horror movie, holding onto a syringe and his mouth covered with a mask.

“I-I have to go!” You announced. Then you got the hell out of that place. Ah, shit.

* * *

 

“So, did you go to the dentist today?” Murasakibara asked curiously when they walked home from his practice.

Dammit. “Yep,” you instantly lied.

“Good. Did it hurt?”

No because you didn’t do it. “W-Well, not at all. It was better than expected.” That wasn’t necessarily a lie.

“Yay, now you can eat sweets again~” he beamed, taking your hand.

“Yeah, yay.” You said, unenthusiastically. You couldn’t wait for this holiday season to be over.

* * *

 

It was only a couple of days before Christmas. You stood at Yosen High’s gym where the basketball team was gathered after distributing packets of the cookies you made to all of them. They were all glittering gratefully after a grueling practice.

“Really, [y/n], did you make all of this?” Himuro, Murasakibara’s closest friend on the team, asked. He took a bite out of one of them and practically swooned. “This is delicious!”

“Thank you,” you blushed shyly as all the boys began showering you with compliments on your skills.

Murasakibara nodded proudly at you.

“Aren’t you eating any?” Himuro offered his own to her.

“No, no thank you.” You let out an awkward, obviously forced laugh. “I’ve eaten way too many of those when I baked them.”

“Ah, I see.” He nodded. “Thank you so much! This a great boost to our morale.” Everyone else agreed happily.

When you were heading home with Murasakibara, he took another turn which didn’t head to your house so you frowned. “Atsushi, my house is that way.”

“I have to stop by somewhere,” he smiled.

Smiled. That wasn’t a good sign. Whenever he had that smile on without food around him, that was a bad sign.

“Atsushi—“

“We’re here.” He stopped in front of a tall building. You looked to see that it was the dentist. Your heart dropped to your feet. Hell, it dropped right through the ground and into the earth’s core where it burned to ashes.

“W-Why?”

“You didn’t go to the dentist.” He stated calmly. “You never refuse sweets. Ever. Even when you’re full.”

“That’s because I already ate so—“

“Go in,” he said in a threatening voice.

You knew that you couldn’t argue with him so you did and sat down. There were less people around before Christmas so you cursed when you took a number and knew that your turn was coming up soon. Murasakibara looked huge to the other kids. One of them stared at him in awe.

“ _Onii-sama_ ,” a kid approached him cautiously, licking his lollipop.

“Yes?~” Murasakibara responded, gazing at the child’s lollipop as if it were a piece of treasure.

“Are you a basketball player?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Yes, I am.”

“Are you good?”

“Yes,” he replied again.

The boy paused for a second then continued, “What position do you have?”

“I’m a center.”

“Cool,” he nodded, seeming nonchalant about it but you could see the admiration sparkling in his eyes. “And is this _onee-chan_ your girlfriend?”

“Yes~” Murasakibara beamed this time.

“Why is she shaking?” Stupid kid, you thought bitterly to yourself.

“Because she’s scared of the dentist,” he said.

“Ehh, you shouldn’t be scared.” The kid blinked several times blankly. “It’s fine. I used to be scared too but then when I went in and thought about how I would be able to eat sweets again, I wasn’t scared anymore.”

Well, that was true. It’s like the climb before the view. You sighed and nodded. “I guess you’re right.

“And, anyway how are you that old and still scared of the dentist?” He said before skipping away, pleased with himself. That brat.

When you went inside, you were still feeling okay. But outside, Murasakibara heard your shrieks after you began.

* * *

You happily scooped up a forkful of Christmas cake into your mouth. The vanilla sponge melted wonderfully in your mouth as the sweetness exploded in a myriad of fireworks.

“See, I told you that it was worth it to go to the dentist.” Murasakibara nodded. The two of you were seated at his house, eating dinner together on Christmas Eve. You had prepared plenty of savory meals for the main course and more than enough desserts to feed an army.

“ _Hai, hai_. I got it.” You grinned. “Thank you.

“You’re welcome,” he looked so proud of himself as he ate another bite of the cake. Then his eyes widened. “I think I have a hole in one of my teeth.”

“Dammit! Now?!”

* * *

**_SONG:_ ** **Peppermint Winter – Owl City**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I'm planning to continue Occupational Hazard as soon as I can and I've already done the outline for one of the characters. Care to take a guess? :)


	5. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're an old friend of Kagami's who came to visit him during Christmas and, well, things happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter as an IOU for not finishing before Christmas as I did not get Internet :(

# Old Friends

Kagami × Reader

* * *

Ah, Tokyo, what a wonderful city. It’s been a long while since you’ve been here and you’ve missed the city terribly. Being in America was good and all, but there was nothing like feeling the eccentricity that layered Tokyo.

Christmas was approaching and you thought that you could surprise Kagami who had moved months ago. Alex was coming too but she was taking a later flight in order to finish up business back in the states. You and Kagami had an unusual relationship at first, it was more of a fan and celebrity kind of thing. Watching Kagami play street ball, you had come to obsess over him and it was great in a way because then you finally got to know him.

* * *

Back when Kagami was still in the states, Alex had dragged you out in the middle of a summer day to the basketball court. You complained endlessly with the heat, but it was the basketball you were actually pissed with. You used to play basketball but hadn’t since you had broken your elbow during one of the games. It had kind of traumatized you but mostly, the injury had left you unable to play for months. During those months, everyone had caught up and you didn’t feel as if you could keep up with practice anymore.

There, you met Kagami and basically became his fangirl. He was an excellent player. Despite his rustiness at the time, you and Alex could see that he had a lot of potential to be a strong player. Alex ended up introducing the two of you and you both got close to each other.

You always watched Kagami’s movements closely, mainly because of Alex and partly because you were interested in what he had to offer. Your eyes followed him throughout games. He had definitely piqued your interest as well. So, everyday for the next week or so, you continued to come with or without Alex to the courts just to watch him play. The way he played with his unceasing excitement was admirable. Whenever he caught your eyes in the bleachers, he would grin.

He then began to help you out with basketball. Well, maybe it was more of his provoking you to play and he succeeded every time. You both started calling each other by your first names, since it was easier in the states that way.

A week after you finally got back on the basketball team, Kagami had taken off for Japan.

* * *

 

You took a taxi to the address Alex had given you. She had wished you a good luck before you left and you had questioned her. “You know what for,” she had winked.

Kagami was something else and you knew that you had fallen for him a long time ago. But it was difficult knowing that he lived thousands of miles away from you. You had barely spoken since he left and you only heard about him from Alex who had flown to Japan just to see him compete.

When you got to the apartment door, you heard noises inside and contemplated whether you should really interrupt. With a grimace, you knocked lightly on the door and fidgeted with your bag.

“Oy, _bakas,_ shut up!” It was him.

Your heart started beating uncontrollably. This was it. The moment you had been waiting for, for so long. The door creaked open revealing Kagami. He was real. He was standing right in front of you. “[Y/n]?” He asked, disbelief covering his face.

“Surprise?” You said with an awkward smile.

“Holy shit!” He threw his arms around you and pulled you in for a bear hug as if you had been close all this time. “Man, it’s fantastic to see you here!” He had started speaking in English.

“I’ve been learning Japanese, I’m better at it now.” You stuck your tongue out at him as he held you at arm’s length.

He laughed, “I can see that. What are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d surprise you for Christmas since my parents ditched me for the Bahamas.”

“Shit, this is great. I’ve missed you a lot,” his eyes softened in a way that melted your heart into a puddle of mush. “Come on in. Sorry, the team’s here and they’re being idiots.” He opened the door further to reveal a group of people sitting around the table. “Guys, this is my friend from back in the states, [y/n]. This is the Seirin basketball team.”

“Nice to meet you all,” you did a bow while everyone seemed to watch you in a trance. Kagami was then dragged down to the floor, causing you to yelp in surprise.

“Why do you always have gorgeous female friends?!” A guy with classes started to rub his head furiously.

You wanted to laugh but stopped yourself. Then you noticed one guy staring at you peculiarly. He had light blue hair and a calming gaze. You smiled at him and he looked taken aback for a second before smiling back.

“Stop embarrassing me in front of her, idiots.” Kagami shrugged the guy earlier off and gestured for you to sit down next to him. “Sit down. You must be hungry. Are you staying here?”

“Um, I’m not sure yet. There is a—“

“Say no more. Stay here. I wouldn’t mind at all,” he grinned.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to bother you.”

He raised an eyebrow and laughed, “Bother me? Please. At least you’re at least concerned with what I think. Alex appeared last time in her underwear in front of these guys.”

“Why am I not surprised?” You rolled your eyes.

You joined them for dinner and ended up getting to know all of them. You were introduced to most of them but couldn’t remember their names except for one. Kuroko. Kagami seemed genuinely interested in the guy in an admirable way. He apparently had a special skill called misdirection that only some could do.

The next morning, you got up, yawning as you headed straight for the living room. Kagami was already up, preparing breakfast. You blushed at the domesticity of it all. God, if only. “Morning,” you murmured as you sat down at one of the counter stools.

Kagami turned around in an apron. Heaven forbid. This man should never be allowed to wear an apron. It just wasn’t fair to the human race. “Morning,” he grinned back. “I’ve got school today but we can hang out afterwards if you want. I’ll take you around Tokyo.” He set down a plate of eggs in front of you with a glass of milk.

“Oh,” you blinked several times at the meal. “You didn’t have to. I could’ve cooked on my own.”

“You’re a guest.” He smiled. “I don’t mind. I like cooking for you anyway.”

You blushed at the thought and when Kagami realized what he had said, he reddened slightly too. To avoid awkwardness, he grabbed his bag from the counter and shoved a piece of toast into his mouth. “I’m heading out. If you plan to walk around, just lock the apartment and leave the key under the potted plant outside.” You gave him a thumb up and waved as he left.

* * *

Walking around Tokyo alone reminded you of how much you missed this place. The people, the buildings, the air. It all felt so unfamiliar yet it also felt like home. When you realized that you had basically nothing to do, you thought that it might be nice to visit Kagami’s school. You entered the premises and ended up earning stares from people around school. Well, you were wearing American-styled clothes so it was no surprise. You pulled the beanie down over your hair further to avoid the cold and asked people for the gym.

You walked into the building and watched them start to play. Kagami was the main attraction of this whole thing. He was probably the most skilled out of all of them, winning in terms of physical build as well as skill. And then he jumped. You nearly fell back. When the hell – he had never been able to jump that high before.

“ _Bakagami!_ ” A woman’s voice yelled this time and you saw a girl with the Seirin uniform and short brown hair. Kagami had fell back on his butt after the jump and you couldn’t help but giggle.

At the sound, everyone turned towards you. “Hey,” Kagami scrambled to his feet and approached you. “What are you doing here?”

“Sorry,” you winced. “I was bored and I thought I’d come watch you play. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it has.” He gave that warm smile of his. Ugh, so unfair. “Well, I don’t mind but—“ Your eyes widened as a basketball came flying towards you and hit Kagami in the head.

“Idiot! Go back to practice!” The girl earlier yelled out.

“Sorry, I’ll talk to you in a bit.” He rubbed his head in pain before jogging back onto the court.

The girl approached you with narrowed eyes. “And who are you?”

“Ah, sorry. I’m Taiga’s friend from the states. I didn’t mean to disturb practice.” You bowed politely in apology.

“It’s alright,” she waved it off. “It’s just that these idiots always act as if they haven’t seen a girl before. You’re welcome to watch the game. I’m Riko by the way.” And you introduced yourself too.

“Thank you,” you sighed in relief and watched closely.

The game was moving at an average pace until there was a member change. Then it started to pick up and in an odd way. Passes flew here and there as if out of thin air.

You realized that he was doing these unbelievably good passes. He was hidden in the shadows most of the time. People barely notice him and, although they tried to defend, they would lose track of him.

“So what did you think?” Kagami gulped down a bottle of water, sweat soaking through his shirt.

You stopped yourself from drooling at the sight of his arm muscles. “Um, it was great. You’ve gotten better. Like way better.”

He grinned, “The coach helped me out and the guys too.” He waved in the direction of the girl from earlier. Your face must’ve exposed your incredulity because he continued, “Yeah, she’s our coach. She might not look like one but she led us to win the winter tournament against the strongest schools in Japan.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.” You were still in a state of shock.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Are you dating her?” You asked curiously.

“What?” He started laughing. “God, no. She’s too violent—“ A ball hit him in the head again. “Sorry, _senpai_!”

“You better be, _bakagami!”_ Riko screamed from across the court.

You spent your vacation in Japan mostly with Kagami as he took you around town. It felt like a dream come true to be out with him. It was as if you had gone on so many dates with him.

Christmas came around. You were helping Kagami prepare for the dinner. Alex was supposed to be there in the morning but both of you hadn’t heard from her yet. Your phone buzzed on the counter and you answered it. “Alex? Where are you?”

“Ah, sorry,” Alex said. “I don’t think I’m going to make it. The weather’s terrible here and all the flights have been cancelled.” You could hear the havoc in the background. “Send Taiga my apologies. Enjoy your Christmas together!” The teasing tone in her voice was back.

“Wait, Alex.” But she had disconnected.

“Dammit,” you muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Kagami pulled out the potato salad from the fridge and set it on the table.

“Alex didn’t get a flight here because of the weather.”

“Ah, that sucks. Guess we’ll be spending it together then.” He grinned innocently, completely unaware of how that affected you. But you had decided since before you even reached Japan that you were going to confess during Christmas. If you kept these feelings to yourself for too long, then Kagami might be snatched away in a blink of an eye.

Dinner went by perfectly well with the delicious food and plenty of leftovers. “Really? You, Kagami Taiga, have leftovers?” You playfully shoved him as the two of you walked down the stairs.

Kagami had suggested a friendly one-on-one since it had been a while since you two had played together. Of course, you ended up losing to him. “Dammit, this is so unfair. How did you improve so much in so little time?”

“That’s why, move here to Japan so you can play with me again. Riko would also be able to train you. We don’t have a girl’s basketball team though. You could start one.”

“Right,” you rolled your eyes and sighed. As the two of you sat on the side of the court, the silence made your heart race. This was it. You should tell him now. Like right now.

You gulped and took a deep breath, “Taiga.”

“Hmm?” He turned towards you, so unguarded, so vulnerable.

Ugh. “I like you. A lot. I’ve liked you since forever.” When he didn’t say anything, you decided to just ramble on without even looking at him. “You made me love basketball again and nobody had been able to do that, not even Alex. I like everything about you. I like how you play basketball. I like how considerate you are. I like the fact that you can cook. I like that you can show your feelings so easily. I just… like you.”

When you finally turned to face him, you noticed his sincere surprise. “I, um, I don’t know what to say. I-I’ve never really thought about it. I’m sorry.”

Man, the disappointment was worse than you thought. You got up and dusted the dirt from your pants. You took out the Christmas gift you had made for him and wrapped it around his neck. “Thanks anyway. I kind of expected it.” You forced out a grin. “Merry Christmas, Taiga.” With heavy feet, you dragged yourself into his apartment and into the room.

You were leaving the next day.

* * *

 

“Damn this bag,” you cursed the stupid wheel that wouldn’t turn. You dragged it inside the airport and to the check-in counter.

Kagami had come into your room that morning but you feigned sleep to avoid talking to him. He had sighed and left. When you woke up, there was a plate of toast ready on the table, a note from him, and a package. _Safe flight, I’ll see you again soon._ Why did he have to be so nice?

You unwrapped the Christmas-themed paper and found a sweater. It was adorable. Cute, cartoon tigers peppered the sweater and when you put it on, it was warm thanks to the wool. This guy was really too much.

The woman called out to you again, “Miss, are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” you sighed, placing the bag on the scale.

* * *

 

“Kagami, why isn’t your friend here?” Riko asked. You had, after all, been there every weekday since you got to Japan.

“Um, she’s supposed to leave today. Her flight’s in two hours.”

“And you’re not taking her?” She looked surprised.

“Well, no.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Your confession was really out of the blue for him. He had never expected you to like him since he thought that you were going out with someone else back in the states. So, he hadn’t prepared anything to say if you confessed to him.

“And why not?” She squinted her eyes at him.

“It’s kind of, um, awkward.”

“Because she finally confessed?”

He looked as if he had been slapped in the face. “You knew?”

“Everybody knew,” she rolled her eyes.

“ _Bakagami_ ,” everyone chorused.

“Hey!” He argued.

“But, seriously, anyone could tell that she liked you. She was here everyday. What, did you think she was here because she wanted to watch everyone? No, she was here to watch _you_ , idiot.”

Kagami was speechless.

“’Can I go to the airport now, _senpai_?’” Riko said to mock him.

He laughed, “Can I go to the airport, _senpai?_ ”

“Go, stupid. Before you really lose her.”

* * *

You were in line for the security check, grumbling how the zipper to your bag wouldn’t open. Just great. You were mainly pissed at yourself because you were too chicken to face Kagami this morning. If you did, you would’ve seen him before you left.

“God dammit,” you muttered.

“Need some help?” The familiar voice whipped you around. Kagami was standing there in his basketball jersey. Jesus Christ.

You laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. “Taiga, what are you doing here?”

“I had to see you.” He gulped nervously, shifting around with his fingers. “Look, I didn’t give you a proper reply yesterday and that was my fault. I was just so surprised. I never expected you to like me and you have no idea how flattered and happy I am that you do. You’re an amazing girl and it’s an honor to have you like me.” He took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is, if it’s not too late, I’d like to give it a try. I mean, that is if you want to. We can hang out during the holidays. I could either visit you or the other way around. It’ll be tough to do it long distance but…” He waved his hand in front of your face. You had started spacing out.

“I’m sorry. I kind of stopped paying attention after you said that you wanted to give this a try.”

He patted your head, “Idiot. Listen when I’m talking.”

“Yes,” you suddenly said. “Yes, I’d like to give this a try.”

He beamed happily. “Really?”

“Hell yes!” You jumped at him, circling your legs around his waist, holding onto his shoulders.

Kagami laughed, “Oy, oy.” You wrapped your arms around his neck and sighed. Now, this felt like Christmas.

* * *

 

“Can you two hurry it up? We’ve got a line here.” The security deadpanned. You both realized that people were all staring at you, either in annoyance or admiration.

You couldn’t suppress the giddy grin. “I’ll see you soon, Taiga.” You jogged back to the security check.

“I’ll see you soon.”

* * *

 

**_SONG:_ ** **I’ll Be Home for Christmas – She & Him**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be adding songs for each chapter of this Christmas collection! ^_^


	6. Summery Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Kise on a wonderful, sunny cruise during Christmastime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I only have Kuroko left and I'll probably add that tomorrow since I finished it already. It's a gift to start off 2015!

# Summery Christmas

Kise × Reader

* * *

Breathing in the salty air of the sea, you cracked your neck as you walked out onto the balcony of the room. The sun was slowly rising as the waves continuously crashed against one another in the open ocean. Silhouetted hills were beautiful in the distance with clouds slowly drifting over them. The wind blew across the sea, cooling you down.

After showering and such, you walked on the main entertainment deck of the lobby where there were stores and restaurants. Your parents had decided to take you on a cruise this holiday. This cruise was unbelievably expensive so, of course, you could take note of the pretentiousness of the people around you.

“Be back here in two hours alright, honey.” Your mom waved, slipping on her sunglasses and lying back on the chair.

You sighed and headed to the other side of the pool deck. You settled at an empty area near the basketball court. Yes, this ship had a basketball court. A big one at that. You slipped off your top, leaving you in your swimsuit. You opened up your book to sit back and relax but the noise coming from the court bothered you.

Looking up, you saw a bunch of guys who looked like frat boys hooting over a score. Then you saw someone who stood out. He was a Japanese man with bright yellow hair and an even brighter grin. Despite his pretty boy look, he had an ear piercing. But most of all, he was good.

Like damn good at basketball. Although he wasn’t that physically strong, his over-the-top skills definitely made up for it. He moved agilely across the court, scoring basket over basket that some of the other guys started getting physical, shoving him around.

“That’s not fair!” Who was that? Wait, did that just come out of your mouth? Everyone turned towards you. You were about to stammer out an apology when that corn-colored hair guy snatched the basketball from someone else and scored another basket.

“What she said,” he said with a Japanese accent and a huge grin.

You hid yourself behind a book.

After a while, you reached the middle of the book when you looked up to see the guy earlier standing there. He was staring curiously at you. He wasn’t wearing a shirt this time and you could see the lean muscles that rippled over his body. Damn.

“Thank you for earlier,” he said in English.

“I speak a bit of Japanese,” you smiled back at him. “And I kind of just blurted it out.”

He sat down on the empty seat next to you, sweat glistening over his body. Goddamn. “Ah, that’s great then. I’m Kise Ryota.”

“[Y/n].”

“Cool. Well, I’ll see you around.” He gave a small, flirty smile before darting away.

* * *

After dinner, your parents headed off to the casino with your mom screaming – when she’s drunk mind you ‑ “I’m gonna win me some money!” Dear God, mother.

So you just headed back up to the pool deck and found it pretty empty but not entirely quiet. You walked alongside the railings, enjoying the evening breeze that softly rustled your dress. The sound of a ball hitting the ground drew your attention and you found the guy earlier in the basketball court again. Man, did he never get tired.

And man oh man, did he look good in a dress shirt and pants. He had taken off his jacket and tossed it aside and rolled up his sleeves. “Don’t you ever get tired?” You entered the court and he stopped dribbling.

He turned towards you curiously. “Ah, hi. And I was a bit jittery so I thought basketball might calm me down a bit.”

“Do you play professionally?”

He let out a laugh, “I’m only in high school but I’m in a team and one of the starting members.”

“Impressive.” You nodded.

Kise merely grinned before plopping down against the glass that encased the court. He patted the spot next to him and you settled down there. He courteously draped his jacket over you and you murmured a thank you. “I pick up sports easily and, at school, I used to beat everyone. But then I met the guys, my middle school teammates. They were prodigies, all four of them. And there was a guy who’s got this weird but really cool skill too. I got bored easily until I found basketball because I knew there were always people better than me.” He started rambling about his life even though you didn’t ask.

You listened carefully though. He seemed terribly fond of his teammates. Maybe he was gay. All hot guys these days are gay.

“Do you play?” He broke you out of your thoughts.

“Um, no.” You laughed. “I have two left feet and no sense of coordination at all.”

“Ah, come on. I’ll teach you.”

“I’m wearing a dress.”

Then he noticed what you had on. “Right. Meet me here tomorrow night?” It was more of a question. That was thoughtful. You nodded and agreed to it.

* * *

 

Your parents had wondered what had gotten you so excited that you escaped dinner quickly to go to the pool deck after changing into shorts and a hoodie.

“Okay, so you’ve got to control the ball first. Make the ball yours.” Kise wisely said.

“Dear God,” you chuckled.

* * *

 

For the next couple of days, you joined him on the basketball court at night. He was more than happy to be teaching someone else to play.

“So, are you planning to go pro?” You asked, shooting the ball up and did a happy dance when it went in.

Kise grinned, “I don’t know. I don’t think so. As much as I love the sport, I lack a lot to play professionally. Aominecchi and Kagamicchi beat me even height-wise. Plus, they’re so much stronger than I am.”

He had talked about all his teammates and always called them with ‘chi’ at the end of their names because he respected them. “But you know, you don’t know until you’ve tried.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to end up regretting my choices. I’d like to continue to play basketball but I don’t think I’m going to go pro. What about you? What do you want to do?”

“I don’t have a choice,” you smirked. “I’m taking over my father’s company since I’m the only child. But I’m going to college first.”

“Ah, I see. But you know, a wise person once told me that you don’t know until you’ve tried.” He echoed your words.

“Funny,” you shoved him. “I guess I don’t really mind. Even though my dad gets busy, he still has time for his family so that’s good.”

He nodded understandingly then snapped his fingers. “By the way, there’s a 3-on-3 game tomorrow. Want to play?”

You widened your eyes at him. “Hell no.”

Kise laughed, “Why not?”

“I’ll come and watch but that’s it. I’ll be your personal cheerleader.” You nudged his shoulder with yours.

“Now, that’s sweet.”

* * *

 

The next morning, you quickly headed to the basketball court after breakfast. The sun was scorching so you only had on your swimsuit. Kise was already there chatting with his other two teammates. The atmosphere was exciting with people anticipating fantastic matches. People crowded around the court, trying to get a glimpse of the players.

When he noticed you coming, he jogged over. “That’s a cute swimsuit,” he grinned, perusing you with your eyes.

“Pervert,” you smacked his head. “Focus on the game.”

“ _Hai,_ got it, ma’am.”

“Your girlfriend, Kise?” One of the guys asked in English.

“A friend I just met,” he had on that cheeky grin.

The coach called the first two teams competing into the court and he turned to you, “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck.”

“Can I get a good luck kiss?” He teased.

“In your dreams,” you stuck you tongue out at him.

“If I win this tournament, will you give me a kiss?”

“No.”

“Then if I lose…”

“Don’t say that.”

“Then can I get a kiss?” He asked again. This manipulative brat.

You rolled your eyes, “Yes, yes, whatever. But if you lose, you’re going to be a my man slave for the rest of the trip.”

“Sounds fair enough.” You both shook on it as he went into the court. You watched from the spot you had been in the first day. He winked at you before the referee threw up the ball.

* * *

 

“There was nothing fair about that game,” you handed him a water bottle.

“What? Why?”

“Because you were up against a bunch of amateurs and obviously you were way better than them! Of course you won!”

“No, it was perfectly fair. Maybe I just had a bit more experience than most of them.” He had barely broken a sweat during the game. He easily scored against most of them. At times, just to get a reaction out of you, he would purposely fall back by a few points, which forced you to scream for him. Then he’d grin and win the game by way more points. “So you owe me that kiss.”

“No.”

“Hey,” he whined. “That’s not fair.”

You were about to reply when two girls came up to him. They were hot. “Kise, right?” They asked in English.

“Yes,” he smiled at them.

“You were _amazing!_ ” One of them said. “I was _totally_ into the game! And I’m _never_ into any _sport_!”

Dear God. “Thank you,” he politely smiled back at them.

“Do you want to hang out tonight? We can go to the nightclub.” Yes, there was a nightclub on board as well. She placed a hand on his chest and stroked it suggestively.

His eyes flew to you as if he was asking for help. “Well, um—“

“Sorry, my _boyfriend_ and I are heading to his room after dinner.” You wrapped your arms around his waist, challenging the girls.

They scoffed and rolled their eyes, saying ‘whatever’ as they marched away.

When you started to pull away, he turned around and draped his arms over your shoulders and around your neck. “Wai, what are you doing?!” You were blushing profusely at the intimacy of it all.

“Thank you, [y/n]-chi.” He grinned, pecking you on the cheek.

Embarrassed, you pushed him off with a reddened face. “Stop it, _baka_.”

“You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed,” he crooned, trying to grab you again when another girl appeared in front of him. She was as pretty as the ones earlier but she looked tougher as she held onto a basketball. “Can I help you?”

“Play with me. One-on-one.” She said. It wasn’t an offer, it was an order.

He thought about it for a second, “It’s not fair since you’re a girl and I have a physical advantage.”

“Don’t be so sexist,” she snorted. “We’ll see whose skills are better.”

You watched the two glared off each other.

They ended up playing anyway. It was pretty intense. The girl was probably better than most of the guys on the court earlier. She was quick on her feet and handled the ball well. Kise, on the other hand, kept copying her moves, since it was his specialty after all. Their game became a spectacle with some people betting on who would win. Your bet was already on Kise since you knew how strong he was. But they were both really good. In the end, she lost.

After the game, you were about to approach him when you noticed him laughing with a girl. A pang of jealousy hit you. Dammit. Why were you even jealous? You barely knew the guy. She touched his arm and he didn’t even try to shake it off. Hell, he even seemed to be enjoying it.

Without a second thought, you walked out of the pool deck and back to your room.

* * *

 

During dinner, you continuously moved the food around your plate. Your mother scolded, “Stop that. Why are you being like this anyway?” Your appetite had disappeared since seeing Kise with that girl. Why were you so jealous anyway? It wasn’t as if you were his girlfriend or anything. Ugh. “You usually finish your dinner fast and disappear to God knows where.” Your parents stared at you warily.

You feigned excitement, “I’m fine. Let’s go watch that show tonight.”

They instantly agreed.

Throughout the whole performance, you had been distracted. Despite the dreamlike air produced by the colorful, flashing lights and the graceful movements of the performers on stage, your mind was somewhere else. Your parents didn’t seem to notice as they were too engrossed.

You snuck away and lazily walked back to your room. Arriving there, you found Kise sitting on the floor, spinning a basketball. When he saw you, he quickly bounced up. “Hey, I didn’t see you tonight.” You had spent every night playing with Kise at the court so it was no surprise that he was confused.

“How did you know where my room is?”

“I might’ve followed you one night,” he sheepishly said. “I wanted to make sure that you got back okay.”

Oh, well then. “Oh.”

“Where were you? I thought you got hurt or something.” He pouted, looking more adorable than ever.

Nope, not gonna fall for it. “No, I went to a show with my parents.”

“Oh,” he slowly nodded, processing it. “Are you gonna come tomorrow?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted honestly. “I’m kind of tired so I’m going to go to sleep.”

“Oh,” he looked slightly hurt. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

You knew that it wasn’t fair to Kise since he was probably oblivious to it all but you couldn’t help it. You wanted him to feel something… for you. God, this sucked.

* * *

 

After dinner the next night, which was the night before Christmas, you decided that you would apologize to him. It wasn’t fair to him to behave this way so you went up to the pool deck, where he was supposed to be. It was colder tonight and you had forgotten your jacket again.

You walked over to the basketball court where Kise was shooting balls over and over again but he kept missing. He cursed under his breath and tried again.

“Kise,” you called out.

He turned towards you with sweat slowly soaking his shirt. “[Y/n]…”

You approached him cautiously. “I wanted to apologize.”

“What for?” He frowned.

“I was rude to you yesterday and I didn’t even tell you that I was missing practice.”

“Well, that was because you were tired.”

“No, it wasn’t.” You muttered. “I got jealous seeing you with that girl from yesterday.”

“Who? Emily?” He asked. Shit, already on a first-name basis. “She’s a cool girl, loves basketball.”

“Right,” you nodded, staring at the hoop. “And I got jealous seeing you guys alright. She was good in basketball and I’m not and I’m not going to self-pity but I was just pissed that I couldn’t compete.”

“Compete?” Was he really that clueless?

“I thought you might have liked her.” You shrugged.

He blinked several times before bursting out, laughing. Well, that was mean. You were about to walk off court when he snatched you up and pulled you into a hug. “I’m not laughing at you, I promise.” He said through choked breaths. “I was just thinking about what she told me. She said that she hated me and wondered where I got that kind of motivation. And I said that I’m playing better because my hopefully-going-to-be-my girl is watching.” He said, sounding cheesier than ever.

You couldn’t help but blush at his words.

“So, [y/n]-chi, I like you. You’re cute with how strong you are and how thoughtful you are and I like all those bits of yours.”

“I like you too,” you grinned back at him.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered before capturing your lips in a deep kiss. Despite the cold weather, his touch and kiss warmed you up completely. Fireworks exploded over the sky in reds and greens and you realized that maybe this cruise wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

And later on, you were both settled in the [front] of the ship where he wrapped an arm around you.

“Yes, why can’t this be more romantic like the Titanic?”

“Idiot, don’t jinx us!”

* * *

**_SONG:_ ** **It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Pentatonix**


	7. Unexpected Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected - but pleasant - meeting in a snowstorm :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER YAY! This is the last story to the Christmas collection featuring Kuroko! Sad that I won't be writing more Christmas fics but I'll be working more on Occupational Hazard and HINT HINT: College AU in the future? :3

# Unexpected Encounters

Kuroko × Reader

* * *

Ah, you’ve missed this small, adorable bookstore. School has kept you busy most of the days so you barely have any time for fun reading. You flipped through the pages of some of the books. This bookstore has been around for ages and you’ve always loved going through all the secondhand books.

You slipped one book out of the shelf and glanced at the blurb. The windows rattled just as the grandma who owned the store, reached to close it. Snow was coming down hard and you were hoping to get a book or two before heading home. “Ah, [GRANDMA]**, let me help you.” You helped the old lady to close all the windows.

“Thank you,” she smiled warmly at you. “My body’s not meant for this kind of weather.”

You merely grinned back, “It’s no problem. If you need anything, please let me know.”

After a few minutes, snow began to come down harder. Shit. You better start heading home. You paid for the books when the grandma stopped you. “Wait, _ojou-san_.” She said in an almost whisper and then turned up the radio.

_Everyone in the area should remain indoors at this time. An unexpected snowstorm has occurred and it is best to remain inside at this kind of time. If you are outdoors, please find the closest shelter and stay there until further notice._

Goddammit. You should’ve left earlier.

“Please stay. We can wait this storm out. You may stay here as long as you need,” the grandma said as she continued to stack books on the shelves.

You ended up sitting on the floor and going through your new book. You were so engrossed in this one chapter when you heard grandma struggling. Looking up, you noticed her attempting to reach a book in the highest shelf. “Dear God, what are you trying to do?” You set your book aside and went over to help her. You stood on your tiptoes and tried to reach it but it was futile.

Suddenly, a third hand reached out and grabbed it. You both turned around to find a blue-haired guy standing there. The two of you screamed and fell to the floor. “Ah, I’m sorry?” He awkwardly stood there, holding onto the book.

“Where the hell did you come from?!” You yelled, grabbing onto your heart as if to hold on to your life. “You almost gave us a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry. But I was here the whole time.”

What the hell? “You’re kidding me.” He remained silent. You huffed. “Okay then. Thank you.” You accepted the book from him and handed it to her.

The grandma thanked you for your and Kuroko’s help and went back to stacking books. The guy earlier turned to you and smiled softly. You couldn’t help but think that he was cute, looking innocent and all. “Hello, I’m Kuroko. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m [y/n].” You both shook hands. “Guess we’re stuck with each other for a while, huh?”

“I guess so.”

“So why don’t you tell me more about yourself before I get freaked out again. How did we not see you there anyway?”

“I have a naturally weak presence.” That sounded so depressing. The poor guy. He must have seen the look of sympathy in your face because he then continued, “It’s not a bad thing, really. It comes in handy when I play basketball.”

“You play basketball?” He wasn’t very tall, even though he wasn’t that short either, so you didn’t expect him to play a sport that prioritizes height.

“Yes,” he nodded.

“So what are you good at? Like shooting or something? Defense?” You didn’t know much about basketball so you just took a guess to keep the conversation rolling.

“I’m specialized at passing.”

“Passing?” You raised an eyebrow. Was that really necessary in basketball? Wasn’t shooting and defending more important than that? Maybe he wasn’t that good.

“Passing is actually one of the most important parts of basketball. I admit I am not as strong as the others in my team in terms of scoring but I would like to be able to help as much as I can.”

Huh. That’s very noble of him. “What school do you go to?”

“Seirin.”

“HOLY SHIT!” You screamed out, causing even grandma to jump. “Sorry,” you apologized sheepishly before turning back to him. “That’s amazing. Didn’t you guys just win the Winter Cup? It was huge news. I’m not an athlete but it was big since almost everyone knows about it. Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thank you.” He smiled.

“Ah,” you snapped your fingers. “Now I remember. I saw your face in a magazine. Kuroko Tetsuya, right?” When he nodded, you continued. “That’s awesome. You were part of the Generation of Miracles, the phantom sixth man.”

“Yes, but I am far from being as good as the rest of them. They are prodigies.”

“But, come on, I heard you led your team to victory too.”

“Seirin has a great team.”

He was such a humble guy. You grinned at his modesty. “So what’s a guy like you doing here at such a cold December night? I think that guys like you and your team would probably be out celebrating.”

“Ah, I was supposed to go to a party tonight at my friend’s house. But looks like I won’t make it.” He glanced at the clock then typed into his phone. Then, he received a call. He answered, “Ah, Kagami-kun… yes, I’m fine… I’m inside… yes, I’ll be alright… no, please don’t send anyone here… I’m sorry I have to miss the dinner… I’m fine… okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He snapped his phone shut and placed it in his pocket.

“Sounds like a good boyfriend,” you teased.

“Kagami is my teammate.” He laughed lightly. “He’s a great guy.”

“An even better boyfriend probably,” you grinned again.

“Probably,” he smiled.

“Are you single then?”

He blushed slightly at the question, though he didn’t seem that fazed by your directness. “Yes, I am.”

“Because of your guy, Kagami?”

He laughed again. You were starting to like that sound more than anything. It was rare and sweet. “No, I’m just focused with basketball and school at the moment.”

“What a pity.” You shook your head.

Kuroko then perked up and glanced behind you. “Ah, grandma, would you like some help?” He stood up and you followed suit.

“Oh no, dear, it’s quite alright.”

“Please let us help,” you chirped. “It’ll make the job faster and easier for you.”

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. She then proceeded to explain the categorizing in her shop. She had already separated the books based on their major genres and you all had to stack it in alphabetical order. All three of you then went to work.

When you glanced out the window, the storm really wasn’t letting up. The sky was blanketed with darkness and snow was rapidly piling up on the streets. There was nobody outside and the only things glowing were the streetlamps and this old bookstore.

It was warmer inside thank goodness. You were stacking books in the mystery category when Kuroko’s taller frame suddenly appeared behind you and placed a book on top of your head. You turned around and blushed when you looked up only to see his face so close to yours. You whipped back around as your heart raced uncontrollably. “S-Sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snuck up like that.” He took a step back and you could feel the warmth of his body leaving you. “Would you like an extra coat? Your clothes look quite thin.” He offered,  taking off his jacket and handing it to you.

You stammered out nervously, “No, I’m okay.” Despite the heater indoors, the cold still slightly slipped into the room, creating small shivers in your body.

“Please.” He insisted, holding it closer to you.

“Thank you,” you muttered, accepting it from him and putting it on. It smelled like him and it definitely warmed you up all over. You instantly felt comforted with the jacket.

* * *

 

“Would the two of you like to come up for dinner?” Grandma suddenly suggested.

The two of you turned after stacking two shelves full and raised your eyebrows in confusion.

“My house is just above this store.” She gestured to the stairs leading up to her place. “It’s been a while and I’m pretty sure both of you haven’t had dinner.”

As if on cue, both your stomachs growled.

She smiled, “Come on up.” She led the two of you up the stairs after closing the down the place, shutting the lights off and locking up. She led you to a small apartment upstairs. She forced the two of you to sit down as she set the table and heated up the food in the oven.

Then all of you seated down for a full Christmas dinner. The atmosphere was warm and wonderful. It felt very homey despite your spending time with strangers. Grandma had prepared everything from the pie to the chicken and even had some udon set on the side. It was delicious.

“Thank you very much,” you grinned at her after dinner, patting your full stomach. “That was very delicious.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. I hope you two will stay the night because the weather looks absolutely dreadful. I’ll lend you some blankets. Unfortunately, I don’t have guestrooms so I hope you don’t mind staying on the couches in the living room.”

Wait, you had to sleep tonight… with Kuroko… on one couch? You blushed profusely at the thought and Kuroko reddened slightly as well. “Um, thank you.” You awkwardly said.

She nodded and handed you both thick, wool blankets. As she headed back to her room, she left the two of you alone in the living room. You ended up curled up on the couch. “I don’t think I’ll sleep so you go ahead.” You told Kuroko as he sat down next to you.

“Um, me either.” He replied, wrapping one of the blankets around himself. You grabbed one and wrapped it around you too.

The two of you sat in awkward silence for a while until Kuroko started again, “So what books did you get earlier?”

Phew, you sighed in relief at the normal conversation topic. Then the two of you started to discuss all sorts of books you’ve read. The conversation after that shifted to school subjects and then extracurricular activities and finally to movies and music. You both had surprisingly similar tastes in movies and music so you had a lot to talk about.

You shuddered when a sudden breeze hit you. Kuroko shifted closer. You blinked several times in surprise.

He ducked his head somewhat shyly. “I thought it might be warmer. We only have two blankets so it might be warmer if we sit closer.”

You nodded understandingly and scooted closer to him as well. Suddenly, you felt it. Your heart rate began to pick up and you shifted plenty of times in your seat to avoid any uncomfortable incidences. Your arms brushed against each other. You dug up as much courage as you had and leaned your head on his shoulder. He stiffened in surprise at first and you were about to pull away until he relaxed and leaned his head on top of yours. You couldn’t even suppress the smile that painted itself on your face.

The two of you stayed there silently before Kuroko began talking about more books and movies. It was a pleasant night and you were beyond happy. It had been a while since a guy had made your heart speed up like this.

* * *

 

The sun streamed through the drapes of the house and you woke up to it blinding your eyes. You shifted, feeling stuck and stiff. Then you realized, when you looked up, you were facing Kuroko’s chest. The events of the previous day unraveled in front of your eyes and you gasped slightly in surprise before shutting up again.

Grandma was standing there staring at the two of you slyly. She had a small smile on her face as she shook her head and headed to the kitchen, as if to say ‘children these days’.

Kuroko stirred slightly before his eyes fluttered open to reveal his bright blue eyes. When he saw you there, he quickly jerked up and backed away from you. “I-I’m sorry.”

You sat there, embarrassed as well, “I’m sorry too. I didn’t realize.”

“I guess we were both tired last night.”

“Yeah, maybe we were.” You grinned, looking at his bed hair, which made him look even more adorable.

It probably was the most uncomfortable position of all time but you were happy to be there with him. You were happy to have fallen asleep in his arms.

* * *

 

Grandma patted your hand as you stood in front of the door. “Thank you for helping me out.”

“Thank you for letting us stay and feeding us,” you grinned cheekily back at her.

“Come back anytime. You both are more than welcome here.” She smiled. Kuroko bowed gratefully. Grandma waved as the two of you began heading to the train station.

When you two reached the station, you both had to go in opposite directions. So you felt your heart fall when Kuroko only shook your hand before heading his own way. You walked lazily through the ticket machine and were about to head down the stairs when you heard your name.

You turned around to find Kuroko who was jogging up to the ticket machine barrier. You walked over and he smiled. “Can I have your mail address? That is if you want to because I’d like to—“

“Yes.” You answered without a second thought. “Yes, you can have it.” You grinned at him as he shyly took out his phone.

Afterwards, you smiled at him. “I will mail you soon.” He nodded.

You were about to walk away when you remembered something. You leaned over the machine and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Thank you.” You then skipped away down the stairs.

You never saw the tomato-red shade covering his face.

* * *

 

“[Y/n].” Your friend called out after school. “Let’s go to a goukon!”

You smiled down at your phone then looked up at her. “Sorry, I’ve got another appointment to tend to.”

“Really? Is it a date?” She teased.

You nodded and flashed a huge grin. “With my snowstorm friend. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

 

**_SONG:_ ** **Let It Snow – Kylie Minogue**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad that this has come to an end, but I hope you enjoyed! Happy new year, everybody!


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